Knights of ST Mulumba

15/05/2019

KSM RETREAT MAY 3-4 2019, AT DOMUS PACIS PASTORAL INSTITUTE KNIGHTHOOD – A CALL TO SERVICES TO GOD, TO THE CHURCH AND TO MANKIND BY REV. FR. VICTOR IBIYEMI (SUMMARY BY BRO.KINGSLEY ABDUL)

The Historical Transformation Of The Knights
PROTECTION ( WAR LORDS ( PEACE KEEPERS ( DOCTRINE KEEPERS

In Bishop Kukah’s Dictum ( Knights are group of people called to service to God and humanity

THE KNIGHTHOOD ORIGINATED FROM HOLY ORDER
KNIGHTS = f(Holy ORDER) ...I

A CALL TO BE CHRISTIAN IS A CALL TO SERVE AND NOT TO BE SERVED
CHRISTIAN = f(CALL TO SERVE AND NOT TO BE SERVED) ...II

A Symbolic Representation Of The Current Pope And The Last 2 Popes
Saint Pope John Paul II ( HOPE
Pope Benedict XVI ( FAITH
Pope Francis ( CHARITY

Discussion On Knighthood – A Call To Services To God, To The Church And To Mankind

Knighthood – A Call To Services To God

Deuteronomy 13:4
4 Follow the Lord your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and hear his voice: him you shall serve, and to him you shall cleave.

Services to God can be categorized in 3 ways:
1. PURE WORSHIP = f(NON DEMAND FOR RESULTS OR RETURNS FROM GOD)...III
Serving God not because one want to get material gain but out of pure love

2. UNDIVIDED HEART = f(FREE FROM IDOLATRY E.G. SELF WORSHIP) ...IV
Idolatry goes beyond having erected images but include excessive self love, excessive work love, excessive material love and etc. that place God secondary in ones life.

3. KEEPING GOD’s COMMANDMENT = f(UNEQUIVOCAL OR UNDIVIDED LOVE) ...V
John 14:15 "If you love me, keep my commandments."


Knighthood – A Call To Services To The Church
*Love the church
*Service to the church
*Keep the church’s laws
*Protect and defend the church from modern day enemies
*Build the church – goes beyond building church structures, include: educating the younger generation, raising ones family in accordance to the doctrines of the church, etc.

Knighthood – A Call To Services To Mankind
*Care for the sick, the poor, the suffering orphans, the suffering widows/widowers and all those in need.
*Save life – from abortion, from euthanasia or mercy killing and etc.
Standing against all form of evils – genocides, oppression of the weak and poor, campaign of calumny, and etc.
*Be politically active.

Handy Tools For Knights
1. Bible : Words of God
2. Church Teachings
3, Sacraments ( Actively involve in the process
*Rosary ( must always have 0ne and encourage the devotion to it
*Pius Devotion: such as been a member of Sacred Heart of Jesus, Legionary, Blue Army, and etc
*Virtues ( Humility that comes from Humanity…and the amount of humanity in us determines the degree of been humane (that is, kindness) that comes from love.
*Nobility ( been noble in character, that is, personal character of great good qualities and example to others.

11/03/2018

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF BROTHERHOOD: A REFLECTION ON PSALM 133
Being a talk delivered to Knights and Ladies of St. Mulumba on 10th March 2018
By Rev. Fr. Vincent Anadi
Psalm133
1 How good and how pleasant it is
when brothers dwell together in unity!

2 Like fine oil on the head,
running down upon the beard,
Upon the beard of Aaron,
upon the collar of his robe.

3 Like dew of Hermon coming down
upon the mountain of Zion.
There the lord has decreed a blessing
life for evermore.

INTRODUCTION
“Brotherhood” for want of definition has no encompassing definition. But playing around the word could help us understand some of the nuances around it. I shall engage in a brief sematic analysis rather than an etymological one.
“Brother” means a man or boy in relation to other sons/daughters of same parents. (i.e. siblings). However, “brother” is also used in other contexts to express; those who share common bond of religion, ideals and lifestyle. (e.g. Christian brothers and fraternities). It is within this context that our thoughts are found for the above topic.
The word “hood” is a covering for the head and neck with an opening for the face, typically as part of the cloak or coat. To borrow from this context therefore a literal interpretation of “brotherhood” will mean be a covering for the brother. i.e. covering the brother from any external/foreign force, danger, harm, disintegration or alliances that are not in tandem with their ideal.
I wish to share with us some thoughts about the Psalm133. The Psalm has clear meaning for us as knights of Mulumba. We address one another as brothers. Indeed that is what we are because of the bond of oaths taken and lived together. With the semantics analysis above it should be convenient to understand what brotherhood is for us as knights of St. Mulumba.
In this paper, I will attempt to make some exegetical exercise to push ahead the topic in consideration.
PSALM 113 A CASE FOR THE IMPORTANCE OF BROTHERHOOD
Psalm 133 gives us a guide to understanding the significance of brotherhood. The psalm challenges us to enter into a mystery and a promise. And that if we do so the results will be a life changing experience.
The first and last stanza of the psalms are connected and when read together without the intervening stanza which is merely an explanatory phrase, the purpose of the psalm stands out much more clearly. Let me read to you the first and last stanzas as it is;
Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity…
…for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life evermore.
In the Old Testament a blessing was a unique act of handing on power and authority from one generation to another. It was a way of guaranteeing the continuity of a community down through the ages. Psalm 133 has this meaning for us.
The first stanza states the condition which will make the last stanza effective. Without the necessary condition of brethren dwelling in unity there will not be necessary result of God’s blessing. If the first condition is not met the second action will not occur. If a knight cannot understand the mystery of “dwelling together in unity” he cannot expect the consequences of God’s blessing upon what he does as a knight.
UNDERSTANDING THE OPERATIONAL WORD
“Unity” is the operational word in the first stanza. “Unity” is not “uniformity.” Being a Knight of Mulumba does not mean a mortgaging or denial of our individuality. On the contrary it is a challenge that every brother must bring his individuality to the service of Christ and His Church.
Unity is not “conformity.” Conformity means going along with the rest of the world. As knights of Mulumba, we do not see ourselves as same as everyone but people who have been saddled with a special responsibility of defending the Church of Christ with our three “T”s (time, talent and treasure) and if and when possible with our life’s’ blood. We accept that all men are created equal and every man should have the opportunity to express his God desire as he pleases.
What then is the “unity” which confers such blessing; it is the same thing as seeking the good of others around us. For instance, if I am seeking what is good for you rather than what is good for me, I have transformed our relationship from one of selfishness to that of selflessness. The bond that holds us together is strengthened when we seek the good for each other before seeking the good for ourselves. Words cannot describe the depth of what it means to have brothers who would do anything for you because you are bonded by an oath or an ideal of life. The practice of this brotherhood shapes our attitudes in all our relationships.
CONCLUSION
Brotherhood therefore is a path of blessing and unlimited quantity of action. It also helps lift us up, make us believe in a greater goal, and make us stronger than we were when standing alone.
If we can make the practice of brotherhood the standard of our daily lives, then all our relationships with our wives and our children and work colleagues will be transformed. Our lives will become a blessing for those around us. A means by which God can bless others.

10/05/2017

29/04/2017

Teaching on sign of the cross by Rev Fr. Emmanuel Obadjere

*THE SIGN OF THE CROSS.* What does it mean? Catholics begin all prayers with the Sign of the Cross in which we say: *"IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER( touching the forehead with your fingers); *AND OF THE SON*( touching the chest); *AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT* (touching the both shoulders)" Catholics must make this blessed Sign with reverence and respect, slow - not too slowly- but certainly not with the irreverent haste with which many ignorant Christians make it. *The SIGN OF THE CROSS* is the most holy and powerful sign man posseses. It drives the devil away, it helps us to banish temptations and protects us from the gravest dangers. When well made, it gives intense pleasure to God; made irreverently it is nothing else than a hideous caricature, an insult to Our Lord. Well made it obtains for us great graces. Badly made it is mockery.
*HOW OLD IS THE PRACTICE?*
The Sign of the Cross adores the Blessed Trinity. And these three persons in one God are uncreated, co- substantial, co-equal and co-eternal. As such, the reality that is signified by the Sign of the Cross is without beginning or end. As a practice, from the earliest times we find that the Sign of the Cross was used publicly as a protection against sickness, plagues and epidemics, against dangers of all kinds, in storms and in earthquakes. All fervent Christians make the Sign of the Cross with the utmost confidence as a shield against every evil. Emperor Constantine was converted by the miracle of the cross which appeared on the sky as he prepared for war against his adversaries.
*THE POWER OF THE SIGN OF THE CROSS*
In the reign of the Emperor Phocas, a Persian embassy arrived the Imperial Court in Constantinipple . These ambassadors and their suite were all Mohammedans. The Emperor and the members of the palace remarked that these Mohammadan princes and their followers had the Sign of the Cross marked on their foreheads. Surprised at this love and respect forthe Sign of the Cross on the part of the fanatical Moslems, they inquired the reason. The Moslems explained that some years previously a terrible epidemic had raged in Persia. The moslems noted that the Christians signed themselves with the Sign of the Cross and were thus delivered from the plague. Convinced of the power of the Cross, they themselves did likewise and were also delivered from the awful scourge. Since then, profound respect was shown for the holy Sign, which was considered as a protecttion and safeguard from sickness and pestilence. Many devout Catholics, when troubled with any pain or sickness, make the Sign of the Cross with their thumb on the part afflicted saying "By the holy Sign of the Cross deliver us, O Lord, from all evils and sickness". This holy practice is of the greatest efficacy.
* St Hilarion calmed the sea by the Sign of the Cross
* St Benedict, when wicked men tried to kill him by giving gim a cip of poisened wine, made the Sign of the Cross over it and the goblet was at once shattered to pieces.
* St Louis Bertrand changed a gun pointed at him by a would-be assassin into a crucifix, by the Sign of the Cross.
* the holy bishop, St Bonnet cured a crippled by the Sign of the Cross.
* St Dominic raised the dead to life by the holy Sign. The list is endless
*HOW MANY TIMES ARE WE TO MAKE THE SIGN OF THE CROSS?*
The Sign of the Cross is itself prayer. So, we make it not only at the beginning and end of prayers but as many times as possible in a day. St Patrick made the Sign of the Cross 400 times a day. God bless you!

11/03/2017

"When an evil thought is presented to the mind, we must immediately endeavor to turn our thoughts to God, or to something which is indifferent. But the first rule is, instantly to invoke the names of Jesus and Mary and to continue to invoke them until the temptation ceases. He who trusts in himself is lost. He who trusts in God can do all things."
— St. Alphonsus Liguori

Meditation of the Day

"Temptation to a certain sin, to any sin whatsoever, might last throughout our whole life, yet it can never make us displeasing to God’s Majesty provided we do not take pleasure in it and give consent to it. You must have great courage in the midst of temptation. Never think yourself overcome as long as they are displeasing to you, keeping clearly in mind the difference between feeling temptation and consenting to it."

— St. Francis de Sales

An Excerpt From
The Fulfillment of All Desire

07/03/2017

Beloved, I urge in the name of God to renew your relationship with God with strong passion, you will see HIM in action to restore all that is lost in our nation. No negative plan whatsoever in our country against that will prosper if we keep on trusting, loving and serving HIM genuinely.

Joel 2:12-13
Come back to me with all your heart, fasting, weeping, mourning. Let your hearts be broken, not your garments torn, turn to the Lord your God again, for he is all tenderness and compassion, slow to anger, rich in graciousness, and ready to relent.

03/03/2017

God wants a Pure Heart not a Hungry Stomach.
(Homily for March 3, 2017).

When we talk of fasting, our minds immediately go to food because food is seen as something the body craves for but the truth is that fasting goes way deeper than not eating. We may decide not to eat yet our minds are occupied by hatred, envy, jealousy, anger, bitterness, the desire to hurt, to fight and kill. As such, fasting instead of being a stepping stone to interior conversion becomes a tool in the hand of the devil to further gravitate us to evil. Such fasting is useless not only to us but even to God.

The shocking truth about fasting is that God does not need it. God is not some sadist who is only happy when he sees his children carrying long faces or hungry or down. Fasting is not a condition for prayers to be answered neither does it force God to answer our prayer quicker as some people think. Fasting is not bribe! In our Gospel passage this morning, we get to see that Jesus did not allow his own disciples to fast and when he was accused of not been as holy as the Pharisees, he simply told them it was forbidden for the guests to fast when the bridegroom is still with them. Meaning, that in the presence of God, there is no need to fast.

So, why do we fast? We fast so that we can offer to God our hearts. What God needs is not the fasting itself but the fruit of the fasting. God is not so interested in our physical deprivation but in our interior conversion. This is to say, fasting is something we do for God but for ourselves.

Fasting may be likened to taking one’s bath so that one can appear clean before others. It is not the shower that people want to see but the result of that shower. God does not need our fasting but our hearts made clean and disciplined. God does not want to see our gloomy faces, rather he wants to see our hearts free from the corruption of misplaced values. For instance, if our self-deprivation forces us to meditate and frees our heart from the worship of money, then we have done well. If our refusal to watch television frees our heart from po*******hy, then we have done well. If our refusal to drink alcohol or go to a club frees our heart from temptations to sin, then we have done well. If our refusal to waste food frees our heart from gluttony and opens us the plight of the needy around us, then we have done well.

That being the case, the best fasting is FORGIVENESS. Yes, the ability to forgive which is to fast from revenge at all costs is the quickest means of cleansing our hearts from evil. If you can truly let go, you are asking satan to depart from your heart with all his wicked suggestions. As our first reading from the book of Isaiah points out, depriving oneself of food is not truly fasting. It should be the least thing we do. The following are more important fasting:

1. To loose the bonds of wickedness
2. To let the oppressed go free
3. To Share your bread with the hungry
4. To bring the homeless poor into your house
5. To clothe the naked.

When you look at Isaiah’s list carefully, you would immediately notice these are essentially the corporal works of mercy and as Isaiah says, these are the very things that would guarantee our prayers being answered. “Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, “Here I am.” These corporal works of mercy are so powerful because they help to cleanse our hearts from impurities and they make us act just as the Angels in heaven who are constantly in the presence of God.

Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, help me to fast properly and not simply go on hunger strike. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Friday after Ash Wednesday. Bible Study: Isaiah 58:1-9 and Matthew 9:14-15).

Fr. Abu.

08/12/2016

THE ORDER OF THE KNIGHTS OF ST. MULUMBA NIGERIA

SOLEMNITY OF IMMACULATE CONCEPTION



December 8 is the Solemnity of Immaculate Conception of Mary and a special day for Knights and Ladies. The Immaculate Conception refers to the condition that the Blessed Virgin Mary was free from Original Sin from the very moment of her conception in the womb of her mother, Saint Anne. Nine months later on September 8 Mary was born. It does not refer to the conception of Christ through the action of the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It was established as a Doctrine in 1476 by Pope Sixtus IV allowing Catholics either to believe or not. It was raised to a dogma by Pope Pius IX on December 8, 1854. This means that all Catholics are bound to accept it as a truth. This dogma is grounded on Gen. 3:15 and Luke 1:28 and the age long standing Tradition of the Church of celebrating the Feast dating from the 7th century.



By God's statement in Gen. 3:15 God has drawn a well defined battle line between the devil and his subjects on the one part and Mary and Jesus on the other part. Mary cannot therefore be on the Satan's side by having original sin or by being a follower of Satan.



Further in Luke 1:28 Angel Gabriel saluted Mary as follows. "Hail, Full of Grace". In other words the Angel described her as "full of grace". The word "full" is defined as "completely filled". When therefore we describe a tumble as full of Water we mean that the tumble is so full of water that an additional drop will make the water to overflow. No matter how infinitesimal in quantity this drop is, the water will still overflow. Therefore by addressing Mary as "Full of Grace" the Angel is just saying that Mary has no requirement for additional grace because she is already completely filled with grace. As we all know grace and sin cannot sleep on the same bed. Mary therefore cannot be described as "Full of Grace" while at the same time is described as having inherited original sin. To do so will be a contradiction.



Again there is a third reason why Mary did not inherit original sin. Ordinarily every mother exists before her son. This means that every mother is older than her son. However Jesus existed before his mother Mary. Because of this Jesus determined which Mother he wanted. Therefore He endowed her with many gifts and gave her many exceptions from the ordinary course of events. He (Jesus) endowed her with gifts not only before his birth but also before the conception of Mary herself. She was therefore immaculately conceived in order to be worthy of being the Mother of Jesus. Thus the Jesus Dimension in the life of Mary makes it imperative that Mary should not inherit original sin. To say that Mary inherited original sin is to say indirectly that Jesus has original sin, which is impossible, since Jesus is truly God.



Pope Pius IX has this to say in the document, Ineffabilis Deus,[ineffable God] defining the Immaculate Conception in 1854 "He [God] attended her with such great love, more than all other creatures, that in her alone He took singular pleasure. Wherefore He so wonderfully filled her, more than all angelic spirits and all the Saints, with an abundance of all heavenly gifts taken from the treasury of the divinity, that she, always free from absolutely every stain of sin, and completely beautiful and perfect, presented such a fullness of innocence and holiness that none greater under God can be thought of, and no one but God can comprehend it."



The Dogma simply says: ‘We declare, pronounce and define that the doctrine which holds that the Blessed Virgin Mary, at the first instant of her conception, by a singular privilege and grace of the Omnipotent God, in virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of mankind, was preserved immaculate from all stain of original sin, has been revealed by God, and therefore should firmly and constantly be believed by all the faithful'.



No one can really comprehend God's love for Mary. But this love was because Mary's commitment to God was total. Her response to serving him was complete and full. She never doubted or hesitated in serving him. No wonder God did many mighty things for her. Our opus Mulumbanorum is to meditate on this Solemnity of Immaculate Conception of the most humble Blessed Virgin Mary and understand the meaning. I wish you fruitful and happy celebrations.





Myke Mary Nwosu

Supreme Knight

27/09/2016

A writing of St Vincent de Paul
Serving the poor is to be preferred above all things
Even though the poor are often rough and unrefined, we must not judge them from external appearances nor from the mental gifts they seem to have received. On the contrary, if you consider the poor in the light of faith, then you will observe that they are taking the place of the Son of God who chose to be poor.
Although in his passion he almost lost the appearance of a man and was considered a fool by the Gentiles and a stumbling block by the Jews, he showed them that his mission was to preach to the poor: He sent me to preach the good news to the poor. We also ought to have this same spirit and imitate Christ’s actions, that is, we must take care of the poor, console them, help them, support their cause.
Since Christ willed to be born poor, he chose for himself disciples who were poor. He made himself the servant of the poor and shared their poverty. He went so far as to say that he would consider every deed which either helps or harms the poor as done for or against himself. Since God surely loves the poor, he also loves those who love the poor. For when one person holds another dear, he also includes in his affection anyone who loves or serves the one he loves. That is why we hope that God will love us for the sake of the poor. So when we visit the poor and needy, we try to understand the poor and weak. We sympathise with them so fully that we can echo Paul’s words: I have become all things to all men. Therefore, we must try to be stirred by our neighbours’ worries and distress. We must beg God to pour into our hearts sentiments of pity and compassion and to fill them again and again with these dispositions.
It is our duty to prefer the service of the poor to everything else and to offer such service as quickly as possible. If a needy person requires medicine or other help during prayer time, do whatever has to be done with peace of mind. Offer the deed to God as your prayer. Do not become upset or feel guilty because you interrupted your prayer to serve the poor. God is not neglected if you leave him for such service. One of God’s works is merely interrupted so that another can be carried out. So when you leave prayer to serve some poor person, remember that this very service is performed for God. Charity is certainly greater than any rule. Moreover, all rules must lead to charity. Since she is a noble mistress, we must do whatever she commands. With renewed devotion, then, we must serve the poor, especially outcasts and beggars. They have been given to us as our masters and patrons.